A Rainy Night
by themuseumofnonparticipation
Summary: Robin hears a noise in the night and decides to go investigate. Also known as, the time Starfire couldn't make a cup of tea.


Robin hated winter in Jump. The way it never seemed to stop raining, the sky filled with dark clouds, crackling lightening, and the dense spray of rain against the window of the newly built Titans base. The building rested just on the coastline of the city, and usually he had a perfect view of the coast from his office. But the sparkling blue water had gone, replaced by an inky black ocean that surged and swelled, frothing at the shoreline. Everything was dark, the sky, the sea, the storm had even the cut off the power in some parts of the city and the blackened buildings loomed against the sky. It was like being back in Gotham.

Robin _really_ hated winter in Jump.

A sharp _clink_ tore his attention from his musings and his head swivelled from the window of his study to the hall, the witness statements on his desk concerning Control Freak's recent attack long forgotten. He rose from his desk chair, securing his mask on his face before he left the study, pressing a palm against the panel to lock the door behind him.

The darkness of the hall enveloped him as the door sealed off the light from his office, and he was thankful for some minor adjustments he'd made to the material of his mask allowing him to see better at night. He cautiously made his way to the kitchen down the hall, eyes scanning the doors to the others' room. He could hear Beast Boy's snores and the faint whirring of Cyborg's mechanics as he entered REM mode, and he noted the dark energy that seemed to emanate from Raven's room when she was inside. A flash of lightening briefly threw the common area into light as a crack of thunder struck loudly. Chasing the thunder came the clear sound of shattering glass and a startled _eep_. In a breath it dawned on Robin that Starfire wasn't in her room.

He quickened his pace, his heart thudding in his chest and he reached for the stick in his belt. Surely no one would try and break into the tower. Granted, now would be the opportune moment, with half the city's power out and the titans asleep, but if someone were here, there was no way Starfire would try to go after them herself without waking him. Right?

He turned the corner, the large open space of the living room and kitchen dark before him, and his eyes narrowed in on the shadowy figure in the kitchen.

"Friend Robin?"

He let out a breath of air, loosening his grip on his stick as he saw she was alone in the kitchen, "Starfire? What are you doing up?" He stepped closer and realised she was sheepishly holding onto her wrist, a small grimace on her face and glass scattered along the floor and counter, "Star, what happened?" He snapped, panicked.

She gave him a sheepish smile, her green eyes glowing faintly in the dark, "I was…cold." She said, sounding the word out curiously, and as Robin looked at her he realised she was still in her uniform, the cropped top and skirt, her long boots missing. She'd be freezing. Even Robin himself had donned a thick sweater that night to brace against the cold.

"I have often seen Raven doing the making of tea," She continued, frowning at the kettle beside the shattered glass on the counter, "But when I poured the boiled water into the glass, it cracked in my hand and I dropped it." She turned to give him an apologetic smile, "I apologise if my commotion woke you."

"Don't worry about it, I was already up." He said offhandedly, moving toward her, the glass on the floor cracking beneath his shoes. "Glass can't stand the heat of boiled water, if you want tea use a mug. It's deals with heat better." He paused at the sight of her hand shielding what was likely an injury, "Can I have a look at your arm?"

She dropped her arm quickly, as though she'd forgotten she had been holding it at all, "Oh it is nothing, some of the water spilled onto it and the skin became quite red, but I trust in the morning it will be gone." She said gently, offering her arm out to him nonetheless.

He took her arm and turned it over, spotting even in the dark the patch of raised red skin. It wasn't a bad burn, and with her Tamaranian healing she was right that it would be gone by morning, but the sight of it still made him suck in a small sharp breath.

He gently ran a thumb across the skin surrounding the wound, and when he glanced up to gage how much pain she was in, he found his eyes locked with hers.

He hadn't realised how close they'd gotten, Starfire floated the air, just above the glass covered ground, their faces inches apart, their _mouths_ inches apart. When she breathed, her chest brushed his, and he realised that being this close, with her eyes glowing, she could probably see his own eyes through his mask. For a brief moment, he wondered if she liked his eyes as much as he liked hers. The thought cleared his mind sharply, and he stepped back, lowering her arm.

"It's only a minor burn." He said eventually, dropping his eyes from hers. "Don't worry about the glass, I'll clean it up in the morning." He glanced at her once more, his eyes catching on the bare tanned skin of her legs and midriff, "You just…go put some warmer clothes on. You and Raven went shopping for some after you first arrived, didn't you?"

He forced his eyes to meet hers, firmly telling himself he was imagining the brief flash of disappointment from their sudden distance.

"Yes, we did the purchasing of them." She said faintly, floating slightly closer to him.

Robin took another step back, turning to retreat back to his study, "Good, just go change into them. Make sure your windows are closed so no rain gets in-"

"But I do not have them."

Robin stopped walking, his eyebrows furring as he turned to her again, "What do you mean?"

She dropped onto the ground in front of him, "I do not have the clothes we purchased."

"Why not?" He asked incredulously, he remembered quite clearly seeing her and Raven return from the trip. Starfire's eyes had been wide with excitement as she told them of the great deal of stores they'd visited, much to Raven's displeasure. She'd even been carrying at least a half a dozen bags on each arm.

"I had been doing the picking up of the pizza with Beast Boy last month, when we were walking back and there was a lady with a ringing bell and a bucket. She was saying quite loudly that the "season of giving" would soon be in Jump, and wearing a pointed red hat with a white ball of fluff at the end. Beast Boy said it was a 'Santa' hat, if I recall correctly." Starfire started, and Robin nodded, realising she must have been referring to one of charity collectors.

"Well," Starfire continued uncertainly, "I asked her what she meant, and she explained to me that many families do not have access to the shelter that the Titans have. And whilst I had surmised this already, I had not factored into account how the weather would be colder for these families."

Robin knew where this was going, "So you donated all your winter clothes to charity then?"

She nodded, and Robin felt a small bloom of warmth in his chest. For a brief time, after the death of his parents but before Batman, he'd been subject to Winter at the orphanage. He _knew_ how bad it could get, but Starfire, she had no idea, and she still gave everything she had to try and help. Robin forced himself to stop and change the direction of his thoughts, "Did you happen to save anything for yourself? A sweater, maybe?"

Starfire shook her head.

He didn't have it in him to fight the small smile that broke through on his face, especially when the sight of it made her smile too, "Well follow me then," He said eventually, "I'm sure I've got something that should make do until you can get some new clothes."

He smile grew wider, lighting up her face even in the darkness as she floated behind him.

He was aware of her the whole time they walked, well, he walked, she floated, to his room. They were close, he could feel the warmth of her figure behind him the intoxicating scent of her raspberry shampoo filled the air around him. He tried to not to let his mind wander back to where it wanted, back to mere moments ago when her lips had been inches from his. He fought the urge to shake his head, it must be something to do with the weather, he thought, filling his mind with thoughts of Starfire.

They reached the doorway to his room, and he pressed his palm against the panel to open it, "Stay here," He said turning to close the door behind him, "I'll be right back."

He cared for Starfire, yes, more than he cared to admit. She was probably even his best friend. But he couldn't let her into his room. That'd be breaking a boundary and he feared that if that boundary was broken…his self-control would soon follow. Robin moved to his wardrobe quickly and efficiently and grabbed a thermal long sleeve shirt and a pair of sweatpants that had always been a little too long for him. He hurriedly returned to open the door and slip out into the hallway before Starfire.

"Here," He said, handing over the bundle of clothes, "The shirt might be a little too-"

Before he'd even finished his sentence she'd slipped it on gratefully over her head, and he couldn't help the small burst of laughter that left his lips at the sight of the too long sleeves flopping over her hands, "-big."

She flashed him a brilliant smile as she held the bundled sweatpants to her chest, "It is wonderful. Many thanks, Robin."

He nodded, and for a moment, seeing her grinning joyfully at him, looking unfairly adorable in the too-big shirt, he wished that they weren't teammates, or heroes. He wished that they weren't anything more than two friends, almost-more than friends, standing across from each other in a hallway on a stormy night.

Robin quickly regained sense, and gave her a curt nod. Star's smile changed, the joy dulled and replaced with resignation, the glowing light from her eyes dampened, before she turned to travel up the hallway to her room.

Robin's eyes followed her until she entered, and only when he knew she was safely inside, did he return to his room, deciding to abandon any attempts of further work he may get done that night.

Yes, Robin hated winter. But, despite the way it turned Jump into the city he'd left and gave him with nothing but dangerous thoughts regarding his best friend, if it resulted in seeing Star grinning in his shirt, he silently agreed it he could come to like winter.


End file.
